Incendium
by Snows Of Yester-Year
Summary: An AU where Korra is the one that Asami hits with her moped. Korrasami, obviously.
1. Begining

"Tenzin, come on! Can't you hurry up? I'm going to be late!"

The buzzing of the traffic in the busy police station rang in her ears as she wheedled out her plea - officers clanking noisily across the floor, all stern business and clattering metal; a press of civilians milling through, mothers hushing bawling children, people arguing with harassed-looking officers; and still more people being led through to go to booking, some sullen and silent, some loud and angry and possibly intoxicated despite the early hour.

Frustration, cold and heavy, had lodged itself in her chest as she waited for Tenzin to finish speaking to...whoever it was he was talking to.

"Korra, be patient," Tenzin admonished, shooting her a frown. "_You're _the one who wanted to come with me to help explain the rally."

She threw her hands up and turned so that her back was to against the counter, the blunt edge digging into her spine. She crossed her arms and scowling. "If I realized you'd be taking forever, I would have just written up what I saw."

"I _gave _you that option."

Korra sighed, tilting her head back to look at the clock. Practice starts in ten minutes. If she hurried, she could probably walk there in twenty. She probably _should_ have come on Naga instead of flying with Tenzin on Oogi, but she didn't realize this nonsense would take so long. Mako will be furious if she's late, but that's nothing to compared to the gasket he'll blow if she doesn't show up _at all. _

She clenched and unclenched her fists, nails biting her palms. She'd wanted to stay home today, focus on her Airbending, bury herself in practice forms until what had happened at Amon's rally was pushed from her mind, but she tricked herself into thinking that going out and being around other people would be an adequate distraction.

Stupid.

And now she'd already agreed to show up to practice. She just wanted to get it over with and go home.

"I can't wait around her any longer," she growled, pushing herself away from the counter. "You've got my statement, you don't need me here any more, so I'm going to-"

"Korra, no," Tenzin said firmly, "it's not-"

"I can handle myself, Tenzin," she cut in, shooting him a frown over her shoulder. "No one is going to attack the Avatar in the middle of a city in broad daylight. I'll be back at the Air Temple in a couple of hours, okay?"

She ducked out of headquarters without waiting for a word of confirmation or permission from him. A blustery breeze swept down the street, scattering fallen leaves from a nearby park down the sidewalk. Normally, traveling the city at ground level, she'd be excited to take everything in, marveling at the buildings that stretched to the sky and the Satomobiles that flew down the streets, but today, she just felt tired and anxious. Two days of awful sleep pockmarked with nightmares were taking a noted toll on her. She kept glancing around at the people that crushed around her, jittery in a way she didn't want to think too hard about. The sooner she got to the arena, the better.

Lost in her thoughts, she realized abruptly that she had gone a block to far. She stumbled to a halt, prompting an agitated pedestrian to crash into her back, snarling a rude string of admonitions at her.

"Sorry, sorry!" she exclaimed, startled, backing away and holding her hands up in a placating gesture. "I didn't see you!"

"You need to watch where you're going!" he snapped, adjusting his hat with his free hand while he adjusted a package tucked into the crook of his other arm.

"I know, I'm sorry!" she said again. Trying to get away as fast as possible, she made to cross the street, not noticing or caring that she wasn't at a crosswalk and hadn't checked for traffic until she found herself reminded in the clearest way imaginable:

_WHAM._

Korra tumbled in an ungraceful somersault, landing in an undignified heap on the hard road, only vaguely aware of the shocked gasps and cries of other pedestrians on the sidewalk. Scrambling upright, she spun to face whoever had hit her, heart racing in a panic and her right fist full of fire. "Who do you think you're-"

She froze, eyes wide. A girl about her age was powering down her moped and resting it against its kickstand. She dismounted gracefully, eyes wide behind her goggles. Korra felt her jaw go slightly slack, the flame licking at her fingers abruptly going out.

"I'm so sorry!" the girl said, wrenching off her helmet as she drew level with Korra. "I didn't see you at all! Are you hurt?"

Korra swallowed hard, taking her in. She was gorgeous. "I - uh, I mean, no, I'm..." she cleared her throat, awkwardly brushing some of the dust from her shoulders. "I'm fine, see?" She spread her arms for the other girl to see, smiling. "Just a couple of scrapes, you know - nothing my Waterbending can't clear up."

She still looked distressed. "I can't believe I did that, shoot, I'm such an idiot, are you..." she paused, blinking, eyes going wide again. "Oh...oh wow. I recognize you! You're...you're the Avatar, aren't you?!"

"One and only!" Korra said with a voice full of bravado. She rested one hand casually on her hip, ignoring the fact that her head was throbbing.

The girl dropped her face in one hand, a blush stealing across her cheeks. "Oh, I'm so _embarrassed_..." she said, peering back up at Korra. She held out her hand. "My name's Asami."

She grasped her arm in the Water Tribe fashion. "I'm Korra."

"I know," Asami said, grinning. "I've read all about you in the papers."

She coughed hard. "R-right. That would make sense. Seeing as how you, you know, recognized me and all."

She laughed, which made Korra smile wider. "You're sure you're not hurt?"

This time it was Korra's turn to laugh, a derisive snort punctuated with a cocky grin. "It's going to take more than that to hurt me, trust me."

Asami bowed her head in a quick nod. "Can't say I'm surprised. Still, I want to do something to make this up to you. Can I treat you to dinner? Quong's Cuisine, tomorrow night at eight?"

"Uh...I..." Korra wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but that _definitely _wasn't it. Not that she was complaining, of course. "Sure?"

"Great, it's a date!" she said brightly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Right, of course!" Korra said blankly, waving. "See you...tomorrow..."

Asami shot her one last smile as she climbed back on her moped. It roared back to life, and with one more wave over her shoulder, she tore off down the street. Korra watched as she left, grinning dizzily and rubbing a fist-sized spot on her upper arm where a bruise was definitely going to form, thoughts of how mad Mako was going to be when she finally dragged herself into the area far from her mind.


	2. Accusation

"Do you guys know of any place called 'Quong's Cuisine'?"

The question took both brothers off guard, so much so that Mako was distracted from the earth disc his brother had just bended at him and didn't try to stop it from hitting him full-force in the stomach.

"OUCH!"

"I'm sorry!" Bolin exclaimed, scrambling over to where Mako was sprawled out on the floor. "I thought you were going to dodge it!"

"I was," he grumbled, accepting Bolin's hand and pulling himself to his feet. He shot Korra a glance as he straightened his practice uniform. "Why do you need to know about that place?"

She shrugged one shoulder, glancing down at the ground. "Oh, you know, I was just...curious..."

"It's a real swanky place," Bolin said. "Very high class. You can't even get in unless you're dressed all spiffed up."

Korra frowned. That could be a problem. She didn't have any formal clothing, and she wasn't sure if she could talk Tenzin into getting some for her.

"Why _did_ you need to know?"

She started and blushed, hiding it with a scowl. "None of your business, _Mako_."

Mako narrowed his eyes. "Did someone ask you on a date there?"

"_No!"_

Bolin stepped between the two, clearing his throat loudly. "Let's get back to practice, huh?"

"Yeah," Korra agreed, glaring at the older brother. She harshly went through the motions of the rest of practice, ignoring Mako berating her in favor of the thoughts swimming through her head. How, exactly, was she going to get clothes nice enough to go to this Quong's place? And what Mako said - _was _this a date? Of course, the thought of being out so late pushed her mind to scarier places - but she wasn't _afraid_, of course, just _worried. _If Amon or the Equalists attacked her when she was out with Asami, what-

"_Korra!"_

She jumped and barely managed to block a volley of fire with a wave of water pulled in front of her face, scowling at Mako. "What's the big idea?!"

"Your head isn't here today," he snapped. "You're lying, aren't you? You _do _have a date with someone, and instead of focusing on your bending, you're daydreaming about him!"

"I don't!" she snarled back, fists clenched. "I _do _have other things going on in my life, you know! I'm trying to learn Airbending!"

He crossed his arms and glared at her. "Either focus on this team," he said angrily, "or get out of this gym until you can."

"Not that it's going to matter if we can't get the money together," Bolin pointed out timidly, wincing when his brother turned his glare on him. "I'm just saying!"

"Whatever," Korra grumbled, starting for the door. "Maybe you're right, Mako. I'll be back when I can _focus."_

"Good riddance!" he called after her. She shot him one last glare over her shoulder before stalking out into the hallway, slamming the door behind her.

She only got about halfway down the hall when the door opened again. She heard running footsteps behind her, and she heaved a sigh, slowing to a stop to allow Bolin to circle around and face her.

"Hey," he said softly, dropping one hand on her shoulder and ducking his head down to try to look her in the eye - only for her to look away. "Don't let him get to you, okay? He doesn't mean it. He's just really stressed out about our ante."

Korra scowled at him for a moment before heaving a sigh. "It's all right," she said softly. "He's right, I'm...not focusing like I should be today."

Bolin hesitated, looking apprehensive, removing his hand from her shoulder to nervously run it through his hair. "He...I mean...that is, uh..._do _you have a date with someone? Is that why you're so distracted?"

"...I...I don't know. I don't _think_ it's a date. This girl just hit me with her moped and offered to take me out to dinner to make up for it."

"Well, that sounds li- wait, _girl?" _he blinked, eyes wide with surprise.

"Yeah," she said nonchalantly. "Her name is Asami. I was rushing to get to practice and accidentally ran out into the street in front of her and she couldn't get around me fast enough and hit me."

He still looked mildly surprised, but he covered it well, clearing his throat and glancing away. She thought she saw the slightest flicker of disappointment flit across his features, but before she could really take notice or ask, it was gone, and he was giving her the same easygoing smile as always.

"Smooth move," he said, punching her in her bruised arm and making her wince. "Not many people can pick up chicks by running into traffic."

She rolled her eyes, laughing. "Listen to you! I'm not _'picking up chicks', _she just offered to take me to dinner because she felt bad about hitting me, that's all."

"Come on, Korra," he said with a wink and a nudge, "you gotta admit you'd be a catch. She's probably bragging to everyone she knows that she's got a date with the Avatar."

"Calling it a date when I've never even had a conversation with her seems a bit much," she quipped. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I like her, but...I don't really think _that's _what she had in mind."

"Well, maybe not. But you could be wrong." He studied her for a moment longer, his smile fading. "That's not the only thing that's bugging you, though, is it?"

Behind them, the door to the gym slammed open.

"Bolin, what are you doing?" Mako barked. "I said you could have a minute, not..._ten_!"

"Ah, come on, Mako!" Bolin called back. "It's only been five!"

Mako made an aggravated noise, prompting Bolin to roll his eyes and turn back to Korra. "I better get back in there before he flips."

"Go ahead," she said, grinning. "If we stress him out any more today he might _actually _explode or something."

He laughed, pulling her into a quick one-armed hug before he darted back to finish practice. Korra watched him until he had vanished through the doors before continuing on her way.


	3. Restless Minds and Hearts

She set out for Quong's on Naga the next evening, dressed in her regular clothes. Despite how nice Asami seemed, she didn't really want to be out. Any nerve she had managed to accumulate the last couple of days had vanished. The night before, a city councilman named Tarrlok had stopped by the island, attempting to convince her to join the task force he was assembling to fight Amon. A part of her no louder than a whisper wanted to accept his offer, to jump head-first into the fray and give this Amon a piece of her mind via her fist, but most of her resisted it loudly and fiercely. She kept thinking about the glowing eyes of Equalist goggles, of Amon's expressionless, chilling mask, of the bender on stage whose lightning died like water leaking from a choked hose until it finally stopped.

It was the same part of her screaming to go home _now, _the same part that convinced her to just go to Quong's and thank Asami for her offer, apologize for wasting her time, and go home. Now. _Now_.

It wasn't long before she found herself standing outside of the restaurant. With a heavy sigh, she slunk through the doors, sticking to the sides and peering in cautiously. A man in a ridiculously fancy suit, hair combed over and shoes polished so bright Korra thought she'd be able to see herself in them, glanced over at her with a disapproving expression. He gave her a once-over that prompted her to glance down at her clothes - skins and furs, what she always wears. She blinked and stood ramrod-straight, scowling at him. She was the _Avatar_, for crying out loud. If he wanted to play a game of who was better, she could do that.

"Can I help you with something...?" he asked slowly after a moment when she made no move to speak or leave.

"Yes, you can," she said, her voice hard and harsh. "I'm meeting a girl here named Asami." She paused, smirked. "Tell her that Avatar Korra has arrived."

Both of his eyebrows shot up, but he recovered quickly, clearing his throat. "Ah...yes. I shall inform her right away."

Asami emerged a matter of minutes later, and the second Korra looked at her, all of her bravado evaporated, and it took her a few seconds to compose herself again. Asami had been gorgeous dressed in driving gear and half-covered in dust; of _course _she looked this amazingly stunning when she was a bit more cleaned up.

"Korra?" she asked, puzzled. "What's wrong?"

She cleared her throat, furious with herself for a second - but Amon's face swam to the front of her mind again, and she pushed forward. "Hey...Asami." She took a deep breath. "Listen, I...I don't think..."

She petered out, frowning down at the ornate, richly-colored carpet. She had been so preoccupied with whether or not she should even go to dinner, and then why she shouldn't, that she hadn't worked out what to say. A grievous oversight.

Asami reached forward to hesitantly scoop up her hand, making her heart skip furiously. "Is everything okay?"

"It's fine," Korra assured her, giving her a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I'm just...I...I have a really early morning tomorrow. You know, Airbending and all. And I, uh, I don't really...have any nice clothes." She glanced down at the worn-down toes of her boots, unable to look at Asami's bright green eyes while she said this. "Thank you for your offer, really, but I can't stay. I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Asami responded, squeezing her hand gently before dropping it. "Do you want to come out some other time? When are you free this week? I can take care of getting you some nicer clothes if you can't."

Her heart, if possible, plummeted further. "...Oh, I...I don't think I can this week, actually. I'm _really_ busy."

She thought that this would be enough to dissuade Asami, but she had no such luck.

"Then we'll have dinner tonight," she said matter-of-factly.

"I'm not dressed for this place," Korra protested quickly, tugging at her pants for emphasis. "Really, Asami, that's-"

She cut off, perplexed, as Asami turned to exchange a few quiet words with the man who had spoken to Korra. After a moment, she turned back to her, smiling brilliantly.

"Let's go," she chirped, grabbing Korra by her arm and pulling her out the door.

"Go?" Korra echoed, bewildered. "Go where?!"

"To get some food, where else?"

Asami half-dragged a very puzzled Korra down the street a block or two, Naga trailing behind them, and Korra was too confused to protest any of it. When she reached her destination, she finally dropped her arm. "Here we are!"

It was a threadbare, faded green tent covering a food stand, the wood of the table nicked and worn down, set up along a low retaining wall made from cold, coarse, gray stones that encircled a park, manned by a haggard-looking woman who frowned expectantly at them through the steam let off by the food she was cooking

Korra stared at Asami blankly as she walked over to order. "You're serious?"

"Two, please," she said to the woman working before shooting Korra a grin over her shoulder. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Korra opened her mouth to make a comment about the money Asami clearly had to have and about how not-high-class the cheap roadside stand was, but she swallowed the remark. She might be rash, but even _she_ knew that some things were best left unsaid.

"I don't know," she hedged quickly, studying the ramshackle stand as she rolled a diplomatic response around in her mind. "It just...doesn't seem like the kind of place you'd go to."

Asami handed the woman some yuans and instructed her to keep the change (the look on her face when she looked at the notes was priceless, confirming both Korra's suspicions about Asami's), taking their food. It was simple - a hodgepodge of meat and some vegetables and an unknown white sauce held together in flatbread and wrapped up in some newspaper.

"My first boyfriend was a pro-bender," Asami revealed, handing Korra her meal. She started for the wall and indicated that Korra should follow, sitting down on the hard stone after brushing away some fallen leaves and a few sticks. "And the food stand on the city-side of the arena's pier sells these. A lot of nights, we'd be so tired and hungry that we didn't want to wait and go somewhere else, so we would stop there."

"Oh...boyfriend?" Korra echoed as she sat down, her heart sinking more than she would like to admit. Beside her, Naga jumped up to the soft ground behind the retaining wall, settling down on the cool grass and curling up against Korra.

A twig snapped behind her, making her jump and turn. She saw nothing, just the park washed in the dim light of the city.

"Yeah," Asami said, taking a bite of her food. "He was a Firebender. Kind of a jerk sometimes, but I liked him."

Korra slowly turned back around, her heart still jittery. "Y-yeah."

Asami gave her a quizzical look. "Aren't you hungry?"

She suddenly remembered that she was holding the food that Asami had bought her. Not wanting to appear unappreciative, she frantically took a too-big bite, almost choking in the process - but not before noting to herself that it actually did taste better than it looked.

"Ish goo'!" she declared loudly through the mouthful of food, casting a glance over her shoulder again before forcing herself to swallow, shooting Asami a grin to assuage her concerned look. "It's good," she repeated, "I like it a lot!"

Asami smiled, and her heart gave a different sort of flutter.

"I'm glad you like it," she said, folding back some of the newspaper and taking another dainty bite. "I'm really sorry about Quong's, by the way. I didn't even think to tell you to wear formal clothes."

"It's okay," Korra reassured her, ripping away some of the newspaper so she could access more of her meal. "Like I said, I don't even really _have_ anything formal."

Asami tilted her head at her, curly hair swinging in a dark curtain around her face. "That's surprising," she said frankly. "I'd think with you being the Avatar, you'd have..._something_. Don't you have to wear formal things to important functions?"

"I guess," she said slowly, shrugging, "but I've never had to go to anything really important."

Her eyes grew wide. "Really? Never?"

"Never," Korra reiterated, grinning in spite of herself. "What kind of functions do I have to go to in a compound in the middle of nowhere?"

"Is that where you grew up?" Asami asked. "In a compound?"

"That's right!" she nodded. "I mean, I lived in the western village with my parents when I was a really little kid, but the White Lotus took me to the compound for training not long after they found out I was the Avatar. Pretty much as soon as they found me, they started building it, and as soon as it was built, I was taken there, and I've lived there ever since."

Asami frowned lightly, and Korra could almost see the cogs turning in her head as she pieced together some of what Korra had said. "Does that mean...you didn't grow up with your parents?"

"Well, yeah - but it wasn't that bad!" she said hastily at the look on Asami's face. "I was-"

A rustle in some leaves behind her made her start and gasp and jump to her feet, scanning the park behind them closely, free hand clenched into a fist. Nothing. Again.

"Korra?"

She slowly sat down again, still staring back behind them. "Sorry, I...I thought I heard something."

Asami glanced back into the park before returning her attention to Korra, concerned. "Do you want to go somewhere else?"

"No, it's...fine," she said, turning her attention to Asami. Suddenly, she noticed that her arms were covered in goosebumps, and wanted to kick herself. In her fancy dress with no fur or lining or even _proper sleeves_, Asami wasn't dressed for sitting outside on the cold ground in the late fall.

"You have to be freezing," she said, setting her food on the wall next to her with a rustle so she could shuck her jacket. "Here."

Asami hesitated, rubbing the warm fur trim of one sleeve between her fingers. "But...then _you'll_ be cold."

"I won't," Korra reassured her, smiling. "I'm used to temperatures much colder than this. Trust me, this is nothing."

After a moment, Asami set her food aside as well, taking the jacket and slipping it on. It was a bit small for her, but it was better than nothing. She flipped her hair out from where it was trapped under the jacket and gave Korra a grateful smile. "Thank you."

Korra snatched up her food and took another bite, hoping that she wasn't blushing as bad as she thought she was. She swallowed and said, "So, uh...what was I saying?"

"You were saying that you didn't live with your parents," Asami prompted softly.

"Right! Yeah, I lived away from them, but...they came to the compound three or four times a week to visit and have dinner, and the White Lotus let me live at the house with them for an entire month each year." She ripped away a strip of paper from the edge of the newsprint and started methodically shredding it. "So, you know, it...it wasn't that bad."

"Do you...miss your home?"

Korra fidgeted, frowning at her hands as they reduced the paper to confetti. "Some. Not too much. Airbending and pro-bending training are both really distracting."

Asami nodded. "How's that going?"

"Airbending or pro-bending?"

"Either." She swiped a bit of errant sauce off her newsprint and sucked her finger clean. "Both."

"Ah, well..." she cleared her throat. "Airbending is going...slowly. I'm not very good at it, to be honest. A lot of it doesn't make much sense to me, but I'll get it."

"I'm sure you will," Asami said with a winning smile. "I've seen you in action. You're a great bender."

The words slowly clicked in Korra's mind. "You've...you've seen me?"

"Yeah, at your last pro-bending match."

Her heart sunk and she turned away with a groan, resting her head in her free hand. "Oh, _no_, you _saw me_?"

There was laughter, and she felt Asami's hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry! For never being in a ring before, you weren't bad."

"Are you kidding?" Korra griped. "That was the _worst_ bending I _ever_ did." She tilted her head, giving Asami a sidelong glance around her hand. "I can't believe you saw that..."

"It's _fine_," Asami insisted, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "You just need practice. I'm sure by the time the tournament comes around, you'll be unstoppable. I can't wait to see you in action again."

Korra snorted, contemplating her food miserably. "You might have to wait a while."

"What do you mean?"

She sighed. "The Fire Ferrets don't have the money we need to enter. My teammates are kind of broke, and I'm...well, I never really needed money, so I don't exactly have a lot."

Asami frowned, shoulders slumped slightly. "That not fair..."

Korra shrugged. "Nothing we can do about it," she said. "I think Mako's really disappointed, but..."

She suddenly realized how close they were; they started off with over an arm's length between them, and now Asami was close enough that her long black hair brushed Korra's arm when the wind blew it. Flustered, Korra cleared her throat loudly.

"So what about you?" she asked, her voice too loud and abrasive against her own ears. "What, uh, what are your parents...and stuff...like?"

She felt painfully awkward, but luckily, Asami didn't seem to notice or care. Her expression did break somewhat, however, sadness bleeding into her eyes as her hand slipped off of Korra's shoulder.

"I live with my dad," she said, glancing down at the crumpled-up newspaper in her lap. "My mom...my mom died when I was young."

Korra's heart clenched painfully. "Oh...I'm sorry, Asami, I...didn't know..."

Asami shook her head, black curls swinging in time with the motion. "It's okay. I still miss her, but it's not as hard as it used to be...and I still have my dad."

Moving tentatively, Korra slowly lifted one arm and draped it around Asami's shoulders, giving her a comforting hug. She gave Korra a small smile and reached up one hand, clasping Korra's and giving it a quick squeeze.

Minutes passed with them like that, Asami tucked under Korra's arm. They talked more, the conversation meandering from other pro-bending teams to what Asami did in her spare time ("You race Satomobiles? For _fun_?! That's _awesome_!"), the city slipping from evening to night around them. The varicolored lights dazzled Korra as they always did, although she couldn't help but think as their time wore on that the girl at her side had them beat.

After a while, something rustled the bushes behind Korra, and although she made herself sit still and not turn around, she couldn't repress a shudder. She didn't want to move. Asami was warm and pretty and fun to talk to and somehow made Korra's restless heart feel more at ease than it had been since the rally. But it was getting late, and she as much as she wanted to stay here, she also rather wanted to be back on the island before it got even later.

"I should probably head home," she said, reaching back to drag a hand through Naga's fur to wake her up.

Asami tilted her head towards her, disappointment clear. "Already?"

She swallowed her own disappointment and the twinge of guilt at the look on Asami's face. "Yeah. I'm sorry, but I have to get up early in the morning."

She sighed, pushing herself to her feet. "It's okay. I had a really good time with you, Korra."

"I did, too," Korra reassured her with a grin. She glanced around hesitantly. "Did you walk? Where do you live?"

"I drove," Asami said. "My car is back at Quong's."

"Do you want a ride?"

She gave her a puzzled look. "A ride?"

"On Naga," Korra clarified as the polar bear dog in question jumped down to the sidewalk, sticking her head under Korra's arm in a transparent quest for attention. She raked her fingers through her smooth white fur. "How do you think I got here?"

Asami looked somewhat apprehensive. "I don't know..."

"She's harmless," Korra reassured her. She circled around to Naga's saddle, holding out her hand. "Come on, I'll help you up."

She hesitated for a split second before taking Korra's hand, steadying herself as she hoisted herself up in the saddle. She had to sit with both legs on one side to accommodate for her skirt. Once Korra was sure she was situated, she swung herself up in front of Asami, grabbing Naga's reins.

"All right," Korra said, "let's go, Naga."

Asami banded her arms around Korra's middle, which made her jump. Luckily, Naga's swaying gait masked the movement.

It was a quick ride back to Quong's. Korra dismounted and moved to help Asami down only to see that she had slid herself off.

"Thank you for having dinner with me," Asami said, pulling Korra into a surprisingly strong hug. "I know you're busy with everything right now, but we should do it again sometime."

"Y-yeah, totally," Korra agreed, bringing up her arms to return the embrace. She pulled back and gave Asami a smile. "I guess I'll see you around?"

"I'll definitely be in touch," she said. She hesitated for a split second before leaning forward and giving Korra a quick kiss on the cheek, startling the young Avatar. "See you around, Korra."

Flustered and blushing, Korra hoisted herself back into the saddle and stammered out an order for Naga to start walking. It wasn't until she was halfway home that she realized Asami still had her coat.


	4. Sponsors and Bribes

Morning found Korra long before she would have liked it to. It was barely dawn, the moon perched above the horizon, a few of the brightest stars still stuck in the slowly lightening sky, just above where the gentle fire of dawn fizzled into the cool darkness of night. She felt exhausted, head light and unfocused, but the shadowy images she saw in her dreams popped back out each time she closed her eyes, burned into her vision and completely unshakable. Sleep wasn't going to come again today.

She sat up, yawning and stretching. The chilled morning air felt good against her skin, waking her the rest of the way up as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She knelt to greet her best friend, sprawled on her back with all four legs sticking up in the air.

"Come on, girl," she muttered to Naga, running her fingers through her thick fur and making the massive dog wag her tail happily. "Let's go grab some breakfast."

Once Korra had picked at some food, she went to sit outside with Naga and wait for Airbending lessons to start. It was a foggy morning, flecks of golden sunlight only just starting to shoot through the purple haze. It was there that Asami found her, plopped down on the stone steps and rubbing Naga's belly.

"Good morning, Miss Avatar!"

Surprised, Korra glanced over and allowed herself a small smile, turning as the other girl approached, blue coat slung over one arm. "Hey, Asami. What are you doing here at this hour?"

"I brought your coat," she said, holding it out pointedly. "You forgot to take it back."

"Oh - right." She reached up and took the proffered garment. "Thank you."

Asami grinned, dropping down on the steps next to Korra and giving Naga a curious look.

Korra glanced back and forth between Asami and Naga, noting the curiosity on the other girl's face - as well as the minor but understandable apprehension. "Do you want to pet her?" she offered, scooting back a bit so Asami could reach over her. "She seems to like you."

Naga, who was still sprawled pathetically out on her back, craned her neck to look at them, head cocked lightly, ears flopping in a most undignified way. Asami laughed at the sight, hesitantly leaning over to run her hand along Naga's soft white fur. "She's a...polar bear dog, right?"

"Yeah," Korra confirmed, raking her fingers across her best friend's furry stomach again.

"I didn't know they could be tame like this," Asami murmured thoughtfully, scratching Naga behind her ear and making her kick her leg happily, prompting another soft laugh from her.

"They're usually not tame at all," Korra admitted, leaning heavily on Naga's side and nuzzling her face into her fur, smiling at the familiar scent. "Naga? She's special, though. I trained her myself."

"That's really impressive," Asami said, shooting Korra a glance. "How did you do that?"

"I wouldn't have been able to if she hadn't been a pup when I started." She turned her head so that her cheek was resting against Naga's side, looking at Asami. "I had snuck out of the compound one night when I was eight and wound up getting chased by a polar leopard. I stumbled into the cave where Naga and her mother were sleeping and was chased out, but then Naga's mother wound up attacking the leopard instead."

She shut her eyes, the scene so clear in her mind it felt like it had just happened last night. She felt the bite of the cold wind creeping through her parka and searing her bare skin, heard the snarls of the animals as they fought and the sickening tearing of flesh, smelled the fallen snow and the fresh blood, saw bright moonlight glinting off of blue ice and gore-matted fur. It had been almost ten years ago, but the wild storm of fear she had felt swirling in her chest was hard to forget.

"The leopard was hurt badly, so it ran off," she continued, still running her hand along Naga's side, relishing the feeling of the fur slipping through her fingers. "But Naga's mother was hurt really badly, too. I didn't know how to heal back then, but even if I did, she wasn't letting me near her. She died from her wounds.

"I heard something in the cave, and when I looked over, Naga came out, nudging her mother and whining. It was so sad. She was so _tiny_ back then - I mean, tiny compared to what she is now. I guess she was still pretty big."

Asami gave a short laugh, and Korra allowed herself another smile.

"It was only a few minutes later that the White Lotus guards found me. I was a mess, crying and bloody and just awful-looking. I probably almost gave them a heart attack. But when I heard them talking about Naga and saying they were going to have to-" she crunched up her face, pitching her voice lower to imitate the guard in her memory, "-'_put her out of her misery_' - because there was no way a pup that young could fend for herself, I _begged_ them not to. I just...couldn't bear the thought of it. I convinced them to bring her back to the compound with us. I had to be the one to take care of her, though. And train her. It wasn't easy, but it was definitely worth it." She shut her eyes, smile turning dreamy. "She's been my best friend ever since."

"That's so sweet," Asami said softly.

"Hello-o-o, fellow teammate!"

Korra started, pushing herself upright to see Bolin walking jauntily across the courtyard, ever-present smile in place, Pabu draped over his shoulder like an exceptionally furry scarf. "Hey, Bolin."

The grinning Earthbender drew closer to them, hands hidden behind his back. "Missed you at practice this week!"

"...Yeah...sorry about that," she said, glancing back down at Naga.

"Ah, that's all right," he said, frowning lightly. "We're probably out of the tournament anyway...unless some money miraculously drops out of the sky by tomorrow." He punctuated the statement with a teasing grin before his eyes fell on Asami, who was regarding him with a thoughtful expression on her face. "Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

Asami jumped and blinked a few times as though startled from a trance, smiling up at him. "It's all right."

A moment of silence stretched between them, broken only by Naga as she groaned and shifted onto her stomach, turning away from them in response to no longer being the center of attention. Korra cleared her throat half-heartedly. "Ah, Asami, this is Bolin, the Fire Ferret's Earthbender. Bolin, this is Asami."

He shifted his hands for a second before he held out his right one to shake with Asami, the left still clasped behind his back. "It's good to meet you, Asami. Korra's told me about you."

Korra gasped, hiding her face in Naga's fur and wondering how badly she was blushing.

"Has she?" Asami responded, voice laced with amusement. "She's talked about you guys as well."

Pabu chittered loudly, jumping down from his perch to offer his own greeting to Asami. She laughed. "Hey there! He's so cute, what's his name?"

"That's Pabu," Bolin said proudly. "Don't worry, he doesn't bite. ...You know, often."

"Bolin," Korra said, voice muffled, "why are you here?"

"Oh! I came by to give you...this! - _ta-da!"_

She peered out to see that he was handing her a small red rose and a tiny, ornate cake wrapped up in plastic and tied off with a yellow ribbon.

"Wow...thanks," she said, stunned, accepting the gifts perplexedly. "What's this for?"

He frowned, puzzled, stroking his chin contemplatively. "Uh...I can't remember now...oh, yeah, _now_ I remember!" He gave her another bright smile, gesticulating enthusiastically with his hands. "_You saved me from Amon_!"

"Oh, that...?" she shrugged lightly, glancing down. "It was no big deal."

He gave her a stunned look. "No big deal, are you _serious_?" He took a rough, hard stance, expression tough and mean. "I was _totally_ freaking out when he was coming at me with his creepy mask all -" he waved his arms around, teetering back and forth in a comical exaggeration of Amon - _"I will take away your bending forever!"_

A strange, cold feeling rushed over her, leaving her feeling bereft and panicky, her mind once again playing back the image of the Firebender's lighting shrinking away to nothing. Asami's laughter at Bolin's antics and Bolin's complaint that he still couldn't sleep well both sounded painfully distant, as though they were shouted from across the wide bay separating her from the city instead of spoken not three feet from where she sat.

"...mm-hm," she muttered in acknowledgement when he stopped talking, glancing away and hoping they hadn't seen the look on her face.

"Delivery for Avatar Korra!"

The three of them looked up to see a scrawny, elderly person making their way towards them, teetering under the weight of an overloaded gift basket. It was laden with the most absurdly unnecessary assortment of items imaginable. Boxes of sweets, fine teas, and other foods Korra couldn't even identify were piled in a multicolored mountain in the basket, envelopes and fruits threatening to topple out, salmon-pink flowers spilling from the edges in sprays of obnoxious color, a silky bow fuchsia bow the size of Naga's head tied ornately at the top of the handle. They dropped it on the stone next to Korra, straightening with a bright smile and a polite bow.

"Tarrlok sends his compliments," they said, "and _urges_ you to reconsider his offer-"

"_Tell_ him I haven't changed my mind," Korra cut in with a scowl, resting her head on her clenched fist and turning away in an aloof dismissal.

"Mm-_hm_," the page said skeptically, bowing low and seeing themselves out.

Bolin scowled after them. "Who's this _Tarrlok _guy? Is he bothering you?" he spat, voice full of contempt, punching his right fist threateningly into his open right palm. "Huh? Because I can-"

"He's the representative for the Northern Water Tribe."

Korra and Bolin both turned to stare at Asami, startled.

"Oh," Bolin said, frowning slightly. "Uh..."

"It's not like _that_, Bolin," Korra said, allowing herself a small laugh at his reaction. "He works with Tenzin."

"Oh!" his face broke into a relieved smile and he held his hands up in understanding. "Good, good, that sounds better. I like that better."

Asami giggled, and even Korra couldn't keep the smile off her face.

"Anyway, I'd better head back," he said. "Mako wants to train. You coming?"

She hesitated, glancing down. "I...um, I don't think I can today."

"That's all right," he said with a shrug and a smile. "Airbending is more important. I'll see you around, okay? It was nice meeting you, Asami!"

"Nice to meet you, too!" Asami called after him. His footsteps had faded when Korra felt her hand land on her shoulder, squeezing lightly. "Are you okay?"

Korra shot her a grin that didn't reach her eyes. "Yeah, I'm...fine."

Asami looked skeptical. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Korra reached up and rested her hand on Asami's. "I'm sure."

She didn't look convinced, but she nodded anyway, pushing herself to her feet with a thoughtful look on her face. "In that case...I'm going to head home."

"What?" she asked, turning to crane her neck up at Asami. "Do you...want some breakfast before you go?" she offered half-heartedly. It was the strangest feeling - she wanted to be alone, but she didn't want Asami to go, either. She didn't know what to do or how, really, to feel.

Asami shook her head. "Thank you, but I'll eat with my dad when I get home." She hesitated for a moment. "Can...can you come to Future Industries later?"

Korra blinked at her, puzzled. "I...don't know where that is."

"I'll take you there," Asami said, smiling. "Can you meet me at the docks at three? Is that enough time to get your training in?"

Korra glanced away evasively. "That's...I mean, I don't know. I have a ton of stuff to do, I don't know if I should really-"

"Please?" Asami begged, kneeling in front of her and taking Korra's hands in hers. "It won't take long at all, I promise."

Her soft green eyes and pleading, sincere expression completely unravelled Korra's defiance, and she gave in with an expansive sigh. "All right," she said begrudgingly, dropping her gaze. "Docks at three, I'll be there."

Asami leaned in and kissed Korra on the cheek for the second time in so many days, making her gasp in surprise. "Thank you," Asami smiled. "You won't regret it!" She gave Korra's hands one last squeeze before dropping them, standing up and practically sprinting away. "I'll see you later! Don't forget, okay?"

She was gone before the stunned Avatar even had the chance to return the farewell.

* * *

She stepped off the ferry at five minutes past three, unsurprised to find Asami waiting for her. She was leaning against a sleek, highly-polished car, cracking a grin when she saw Korra.

"So what are we going to do at Future Industries?" Korra asked after Asami had helped her into the car and they were both strapped in. She knew from their conversation the other night that it was the name of the company her family owned, but she couldn't think of anything there that would concern the two of them.

Asami turned the key in the ignition, carefully avoiding Korra's gaze. "I'm taking you to meet my father."

Her eyes widened, jaw dropping. _"What?"_

"It's not a big deal," Asami said reassuringly, gripping the gear shift and shooting Korra a glance. "Just trust me?"

She wanted to protest, loudly and vehemently, but she sighed and sank back against the seat. "All right," she said begrudgingly, "I trust you."

The ride felt shorter than what it probably was, but that was probably because Korra spent the entire time frantically going over what she might say to Mr. Sato and wishing for the ride to be longer. She was sure that she could win him over with her position as Avatar alone, but that wasn't enough. She liked Asami a lot and she wanted to be on good terms with her family.

It didn't help that Korra had no desire to even be off the island. If she had been jumpy last night, today she was on the edge of a knife, exhaustion mixing with the paranoia about the Equalists being around every corner until she was practically at her wit's end. Being with Asami made her feel a bit better, but she still couldn't wait to get back.

They met Hiroshi Sato on the factory floor, standing in the middle of more Satomobiles than Korra cared to count, all shined up and queued neatly along lines in various stages of assembly. He was standing there waiting for them when they walked up, a serene smile on his face.

"Avatar Korra," he said without preamble when she drew level with him, bowing his head lightly. "It is _truly_ an honor to meet you."

"Likewise, sir," she said, returning the bow.

"You can call me Hiroshi," he said jovially. "So, Avatar Korra! What do you think of my little operation here?"

"I've...never seen anything like it," she responded honestly, craning her neck to look around. "I can't believe how many Satomobiles you make each day."

"It's a highly efficient method," he agreed. "The assembly line allows us to make several vehicles simultaneously at a low cost, which makes the vehicles much more affordable for our consumers."

She nodded. "We didn't really have many Satomobiles at the South Pole," she admitted.

He smiled wryly. "I take it you can't drive, then?"

She laughed. "No. I can drive polar bear dogs, but not Satomobiles."

The joke got a chuckle from him, which put her nerves somewhat at ease. _Somewhat_.

"Perhaps you'll learn while you're in the city," he said. "You're having all _sorts_ of new experiences while you're here. Why not add driving to the list, hm?"

"Maybe," she said. "I'm...pretty busy with Airbending and pro-bending, though. I don't know how much time I'd have to learn."

"Ah, yes, you're in pro-bending," he said, casting Asami a glance. "The Fire Ferrets, is it?"

"Yeah," she confirmed.

He stepped closer, dropping a heavy hand on her shoulder. "You know, Avatar Korra," he said, "I wasn't _always_ a wealthy industrialist. No, when I was your age, I was a mere shoeshiner - and all I had to my name was an idea: the _Satomobile_."

He gestured to the nearest car for emphasis, and Korra followed the sweep of his arm, taking in the glint of the sun off the vehicle's metallic surface.

"And I was _fortunate_ enough," he continued, "to meet someone who believed in me and my work ethic. He gave me the money I needed to get my idea off the ground."

Korra shot Asami a glance and saw that the girl was trying and failing to conceal a grin. What was going on here?

"...built the entire Future Industries Empire-" he threw his arm out dramatically towards the factory floor - "from that one...selfless..._loan_."

"Dad, stop bragging!" Asami said, her voice tight with barely-contained happiness. "Just tell Korra the good news!"

Hiroshi laughed lowly, turning back towards Korra with a smile.

"What good news is that?" Korra asked skeptically, looking back and forth between father and daughter.

"You see, Korra," Hiroshi said, "earlier today, my daughter told me all about you and your team's hard-earned success in the pro-bending arena. And about your team's current..." he stroked his chin and patted her shoulder for emphasis, "..._financial stumbling block_."

She blinked, unsure of where he was going with all of this.

"Now, I'd hate to see you all lose your chance at winning the championship just because you're short a few yuans. That's why I'm going to sponsor the Fire Ferrets in the tournament!"

Korra's mouth fell open, her gaze swinging from Hiroshi to Asami and back to Hiroshi. "Wh...are...are you _serious_?"

"He's serious!" Asami said, smile unreserved and bright. "My dad's going to cover your ante for the championship pot!"

Korra suddenly felt a bit light-headed, almost giddy with excitement. "That's..._wonderful_!" she exclaimed. "I...oh, _wow_, wait until Mako and Bolin find out!"

"There's just one catch," Hiroshi said firmly, hands on his hips. "You all have to wear the Future Industries logo on your uniforms."

"That's not a problem," she said, smiling, running a hand through her hair. "Considering what you're doing for the Fire Ferrets, I think we can manage that." She dropped her hand, clasping both of them together and bowing low. "Thank you so much. I'm grateful, and I _know_ my teammates will be, too." She straightened. "They've been working for this for longer than I have. They really do deserve this chance."

"I'm glad to help," Hiroshi assured her.

"Do you want to come back to the house for dinner?" Asami asked eagerly, grabbing Korra's hand.

Korra froze, hesitating, thinking about how late it would be when she got home. "I...uh..."

"Korra's probably had a long day, Asami," Hiroshi cut in. "She's hard at work finishing her Avatar training."

"Y-yeah," Korra confirmed, relief flooding her. "Yeah, I really should head home and get some more training in before I have to go to bed tonight." When she saw how Asami wilted, she hastily said, "But, we can have lunch sometime? Er...tomorrow, maybe?"

She honestly didn't feel up for it, but she felt like she'd made the right choice when Asami's face lit up.

"I can pick you up again," she said, giving Korra's hand a squeeze. "Maybe at eleven, so we have plenty of time to get to the house? Will that cut into your training too much?"

"Not as long as I go home right after," she said.

"Perfect," Asami said cheerily. "Let's get going, then."

Korra faltered for a second. "Thank you again, Hiroshi, sir. This really means a lot."

"It's nothing," he said, waving farewell as the two girls stumbled off towards the garage. "I'll be in contact with the tournament's organizer's this evening to take care of the ante!"

Before she knew it, they were speeding towards the docks again, the city rushing by in a blur as the afternoon light started to fade.

"Do you want to stop and tell Mako and Bolin the good news?" Asami offered when they were about halfway there.

"What? Oh - no, not tonight," Korra said, glancing nervously out at the darkening streets. "I'd rather just get home."

When they finally stopped, Korra pulled herself out of the car, straightening her shirt and circling around to give Asami a strong hug goodbye. "Thank you so much for this," she said softly against Asami's hair. "Really. It will mean the world to Mako and Bolin."

She hesitated for a moment before brushing a kiss against Asami's cheek, pulling back quickly to mask her mild embarrassment. Asami was quicker, though, and she grabbed Korra by the back of her head and pulled her in to press a kiss against her lips. The gesture stunned Korra into silence, but after a second, she melted into the kiss, eyes drifting shut happily, smiling in spite of herself. She couldn't help but feel sad when Asami ended it seconds later, pulling back with a satisfied smile at Korra's distant expression.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said softly, running her hand down Korra's cheek and dropping it to grip her steering wheel. "Eleven o'clock."

"Right," Korra said absently. "Right. Lunch. Tomorrow. Here at eleven."

The other girl sped off, leaving a dazed Korra to wander over to the ferry and sail back to the island. Even in her haze, she felt better than she had since before the rally. She'd probably have nightmares again tonight, shaking her from her sleep and making it almost impossible to drop off again, but right now, she was happy.


	5. The Gala

Thank you to tumblr users fortuonapeandrag, amateur-shipbuilder, and pulpofiction for beta reading this chapter.

* * *

The door slammed shut behind her as she re-read the invitation for the sixth time. The paper was thick and expensive, rich coils of blue ink washing up the sides and crashing elegantly in the corners. The characters on the page were written in ornate, sweeping calligraphy, so artful that she almost couldn't read it. But the words were there, plain as day, announcing a gala in honor of Avatar Korra, hosted by Councilman Tarrlok, and so on.

She swept into the kitchen in search of food, dropping the paper idly into the waste bin as she passed it. Tenzin, who was in there helping Pema with the dishes, noticed the action and shot Korra an inquisitive look.

"What was that?"

"Just another one of Tarrlok's attempts to get me on his task force," she said with a careless shrug. She had naïvely hoped that he would call it quits after delivering a car to the island failed, but she clearly underestimated his desire to have her on his side. She plucked an apple out of the fruit bowl hanging from the ceiling. "He's throwing some kind of party for me."

Tenzin looked exasperated. "When?"

She shrugged and took a bite. "Does it matter? It's not like I'm going."

"I'm afraid you don't have much of a choice," he said. He walked over to the waste bin and gingerly fished out the invitation, dusting it off with a small frown. "Tarrlok will go through with this gala whether you like it or not, and it wouldn't look good if you don't show up."

She tensed angrily. "So just because Tarrlok is insisting on throwing this thing, I _have _to show up?" She scoffed softly, crossing her arms and glaring down at the floor. "That's _so _unfair."

"It'll only be for a few hours, Korra," Pema pointed out, walking over to stand next to her husband. She rested one hand on his arm before casting Korra a smile. "One evening out won't do any harm."

Korra clenched her fists for a moment before heaving a sigh, turning away so they couldn't see how much her face fell. "Fine."

"I'll take you tomorrow afternoon to get something a bit more...formal than what you have," Tenzin offered, giving her usual outfit a wary once-over.

Her stomach suddenly clenched up. "I...I'm supposed to have lunch with Asami and her dad."

"We can go afterward," he said slowly, and Korra caught the way one of his eyebrows rose ever-so-slightly at her words. "I've been to the Sato mansion before. I can pick you up at one."

"Sure thing," she said absently, digging her nails into the apple's skin in an attempt to keep her racing emotions in check.

* * *

She was still sulking about the gala when she met Asami the next morning. Her desire to not leave the island had increased tenfold over the night, but a promise was a promise. She wouldn't have been able to get out of going to get a new dress with Tenzin, anyway.

Asami seemed to notice that something was off right away. The second she caught sight of Korra, she made her way forward to meet the wilted Avatar halfway, enclosing her in a gentle hug.

"Are you okay?" Asami asked against her hair. "You look so down today."

Korra lifted her arms to half-heartedly return the embrace before she broke away to give Asami a smile that she didn't really feel. "I'm fine. Just tired from, you know, Airbending and things."

Asami sighed, reaching up to carefully brush the errant strands of hair that never cooperated out of Korra's eyes. "Let's get going, then."

Korra dropped herself into the car. "I have to leave at one, by the way," she said reluctantly. "Tarrlok is throwing some big, ridiculous shindig that I _have _to go to, and Tenzin's taking me to get a dress for it."

Asami gave her hand a quick, comforting squeeze before starting the car. "I understand," she said. "Don't look so down about it. The gala won't be that bad."

Korra just sighed and glanced away. Luckily, Asami didn't push the conversation, and they made the drive to Asami's mansion in silence.

The mansion in question was huge, and the sight of it broke even Korra's melancholy. She gaped up at it in wordless bewilderment, unable to process the sheer scale of it even as Asami half-dragged her through the front doors.

"I didn't even know they had houses this big," Korra said blankly, staring up at the distant ceiling, the broad, sweeping staircases, the towering pillars with ornate inlaid carvings. Golden sunlight streamed through the wide windows on either side of the expansive foyer, making the highly polished marble floor gleam.

"It can be a bit much," Asami admitted, taking her hand and leading her through the house. "It's really lonely when Dad works late. It's not that bad, though."

Korra's heart twinged. She knew what it was like to grow up lonely, all of her focus being given to her training. The nights got long and lonely, especially when she was small and fresh to the compound, and even with Katara there for her, she still missed her father's smoky smell and bear hugs and her mother's warm voice and strong hands so badly she could still taste it.

She gripped Asami's hand hard, remembering being so thoroughly alone. Asami squeezed back, giving Korra a reassuring smile. When Korra's expression remained downcast, she lifted their linked hands to brush a light kiss against Korra's knuckles.

"Don't be nervous," she said softly. "Dad likes you."

"Right," Korra choked out, suddenly remembering why they were there.

Most of lunch passed uneventfully. Hiroshi made polite conversation and Korra forced herself to answer like a normal person even though she often felt like sinking under the table and disappearing forever. She didn't know why she had agreed to this; all she wanted was to be alone.

Her attention was grabbed, though, when Hiroshi mentioned the gala.

"Asami and I are really looking forward to it," he said with a smile as he picked up his teacup.

Korra missed the soup she had been aiming for and clanked her spoon against the table instead.

"You're going?!" she exclaimed, shooting Asami a bewildered look.

"Of course!" Hiroshi said. "We received the invitation last night."

"You should invite Bolin and Mako," Asami advised Korra. "We'd love to meet them officially."

Korra gave her head a slight shake, still trying to recover from the shock. "Of course," she said distantly, staring down at her food. "I'm sorry, I just...I...Tarrlok didn't tell me much about this."

"There's nothing to apologize for," Hiroshi assured her, pushing himself to his feet. "At any rate, I have to go and make some work calls. Asami, sweetie, I'll be in my office if you need anything."

"Okay, Dad."

Less than a minute later, a strong pair of arms wrapped around her shoulders and squeezed her lightly.

"Come on," Asami said softly. "We don't have to stay here."

"Where are we going?"

"Out back." She pulled Korra to her feet with a smile. "Trust me, you'll like this."

Korra wasn't completely sure why she was surprised to discover that there was a race track wending through an otherwise pristine green field behind the mansion. She watched Satomobiles tear down the speedway in silent amazement, face breaking into a smile that was becoming rarer and rarer these days as one overtook the other and crossed the finish line.

"This is so cool!" she exclaimed.

"This is where Future Industries test drives their Satomobiles," she said. "I know you can't drive, but do you want to go for a spin with me?"

She turned to Asami, her heart skipping a beat at the smile she was giving her, and smirked. "Let's do it!"

Several minutes and one heart-poundingly-close race later, Asami tore across the finish line and brought the race car to a screeching halt in the pit. Korra felt dizzy and giddy with adrenaline and excitement, hopping out of the car and jerking her helmet off.

"That was amazing!" she exclaimed breathlessly as Asami tugged her own helmet free. "I didn't think we'd make it."

"Well, you can't be afraid to mix it up sometimes," Asami said, flipping her hair out from under her racing jacket with a wink.

Korra's smile widened. She held out a hand to Asami, helping her down from the car. "Thank you for that. I feel so much better now."

Without preamble, Asami pulled Korra into her arms and dropped a kiss against her mouth, startling her into silence.

"I'm glad," Asami murmured when she pulled away, resting her forehead against Korra's. She hesitated for a moment. "I know we still don't know each other too well, but I can tell something is bothering you, and I want to help you."

Korra glanced down, heart fluttering nervously. "It's nothing," she evaded. "I'm just...really focused on my Airbending right now, is all."

Asami sighed, leaning in to kiss her again. It was soft and slow and made Korra's heart skip. She reached up and threaded her fingers through Asami's hair, holding her close. She almost whined in protest when Asami broke away.

"It's past noon," she said, giving Korra another quick squeeze before pulling away entirely. "Tenzin will be here soon."

"Oh, right," Korra sighed, scowling lightly. "Shopping. I forgot."

"Can I come to Air Temple Island the night of the gala to get ready? I can do your hair for you. And your makeup!"

She made an odd choking sound. "_Makeup? _On _me? _And what's wrong with my hair like this?"

"Nothing," Asami said idly, reaching up to twist the wolftail around her fingers and silencing Korra's protests immediately. "But if you have to get all dressed up, you might as well go all the way, right?"

She huffed softly. "Okay, _maybe _you can do my hair, but no makeup. Seriously. Makeup and I don't get along at all."

"Are you sure?"

"_Positive_."

Asami tutted softly before conceding. "All right, all right, I won't push you."

Korra's shoulders slumped slightly. She fiddled with one of her arm bands, resting her forehead against Asami's shoulder, lacking the energy or the words to tell Asami why. Asami, to her credit, didn't ask.

* * *

The shopping expedition passed without catastrophe, although it was excessively aggravating ("So. Formal wear. Do you have any preferences?" "Does it have to be a dress?" "_Yes._") and, for Korra, boring. She got through it, though, and that was enough of a victory for her. She had never been happier to return to the island, making a rushed and clumsy phone call to the arena to extend the gala invitation to her teammates before throwing herself into her training. Distraction and exhaustion welcomed her like old friends.

Korra spent the better part of the next couple of days sulking about the gala, feeling increasingly unwilling to get dolled up and let Tarrlok parade her around. It all felt unnecessary and ridiculous, but there was no backing out - Tenzin would never allow her to change her mind about going, not when so much was riding on her being in the good graces of the citizens of Republic City. When she complained to him about how pointless and aggravating the entire thing was, though, he just lectured her about how it was all part of her duty as the Avatar.

"I don't see how going to some fancy party will make me a better Avatar," she complained in the middle of training the day of the gala. "What does this have to do with me stopping Amon? Nothing!"

"Korra," Tenzin interrupted impatiently, "as I have told you countless times, being the Avatar isn't _just_ about fighting. As the Avatar, you are _expected_ to have a good relationship with a wide variety of people. You must build a trust and learn to communicate with them diplomatically. If you cannot connect with the people you were born to serve, how can you expect them to-_you're not even listening to me!"_

Korra scratched the back of her neck passively, tearing her eyes away from the soaring temple to shoot him an exasperated look. "So? You're not telling me anything new."

He sighed, exasperated, but didn't push the issue.

The rest of the afternoon flew by far too quickly; she finished training, scarfed down some fruit, and had just finished washing up when her friends arrived. Unbeknownst to Korra, Asami had taken care of getting Mako and Bolin some nicer clothes, although Mako still was wearing his scarf. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't surprised. Asami appeared to be dressed already, too, but she was wearing a long coat that concealed what she was wearing from Korra's curious eyes.

In the hectic kitchen, Pema, who was already dressed and trying to keep Ikki and Meelo from wrecking their clothes, offered the boys tea while Asami dragged Korra off to get ready. She waited outside while Korra jerked off her normal clothes and donned the dress Tenzin had bought.

"You sure I can't talk you into doing your makeup?" Asami asked in a teasing voice as she shrugged her coat off.

"I'm positive," Korra deadpanned, tying her sash. "You have free rein with my hair but that's it."

Asami hummed to herself. "You don't need makeup anyway," she said thoughtfully. "You're gorgeous no matter what."

Korra fumbled and dropped the armband she had been trying to tug on, groaning in exasperation at herself. "Thanks..."

Finally dressed, she opened the door to let Asami in and couldn't bite back her gasp at her dress, bright red with elegantly draped fabric. She looked completely stunning.

"Korra," Asami said breathlessly, interrupting her thoughts, "you look _amazing_."

She ducked her head slightly, flushing and twisting her hair around one finger, unable to stop herself from smiling.

"You do, too."

Asami steered her over to the bed by her shoulders and sat her down on the edge. She grabbed the hairbrush sitting on the nightstand, kneeling behind her. It took everything in Korra's power not to melt against her when she started brushing her damp hair, sweeping it back and gathering it in one hand.

"Your hair is gorgeous," Asami said as she parted it to the side. "I love the color."

Korra laced her fingers together, resting her clasped hands in her lap. "Thank you."

Asami caught half of her hair back and tied it off, leaving the rest of it to fall loose and free around her shoulders. It felt odd to not have her bangs tied off on either side of her face, and her head was lighter without most of her hair being up in a practical wolftail. It didn't look bad, though, she thought after checking the mirror, and she'd take the feeling of Asami's nails lightly scratching her scalp and her fingers combing through her hair over some dumb wolftail any day of the week.

Asami came up behind her and wrapped her up in her embrace, kissing her cheek. "You look amazing," she reiterated, voice barely a whisper. "Everyone is going to adore you."

She leaned back against her, Asami's warm arms and soft voice smoothing out her rattled nerves. She felt Asami's hand intertwine with her own.

"Do you think Tarrlok is going to try to get you to join the task force again?"

She stroked Asami's knuckles with her thumb, frowning in thought. "I dunno. Maybe. Tenzin thinks so. He says Tarrlok wouldn't go to all this bother if he wasn't going to try something."

Asami hugged her tighter. "Is there anything I can do?"

Korra shook her head no, smiling shakily. "I can handle Tarrlok, don't worry. I've turned him down every single time so far. He's completely nuts if he thinks it's going to work this time."

* * *

The page wasn't joking when they said that all of the city's movers and shakers would be at Korra's gala; they weren't even late and City Hall was already completely packed by the time they got there. Everyone recognized her as soon as she entered, and spontaneous applause broke out throughout the crowd at her arrival, making her grin widely.

"Okay, maybe this won't be so bad," she said as an aside to Asami, whose arm was linked with Korra's. "I can't believe this is all for _me."_

"Told you they'd adore you."

Tenzin rested his hand on her shoulder briefly. "I'm not sure what Tarrlok's plotting, but keep your guard up." His eyes flicked away from her and narrowed briefly. "It's not like him to throw a party just for the fun of it."

"So glad you could make it, Avatar Korra!"

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes when she recognized the voice. She felt Asami stiffen next to her, and she reached up to give her arm a reassuring squeeze.

"Miss Sato, I'm happy to see you again," he said smoothly. "Your father is in attendance as well, is he not?"

Despite the wave of frostiness that washed over Asami every time Tarrlok had been brought up since his first attempt to sway Korra's opinion, she was nothing but gracious as she smiled and bowed her head in response. "Likewise, Councilman," she said, voice warm and polite. "I believe he is."

"I look forward to seeing him," he said. "I have been meaning to thank him personally for the monetary contribution he made to the city last spring. Were it not for his donation, the new electrical lines in the Dragon Flat's Borough might never have been constructed."

"He was more than happy to help," she said. "My father believes in working together to build a city where we can all live _comfortably_."

Korra thought she caught an icy note in Asami's voice, but she could have imagined it.

"As do I," he assured her. "I have been trying to get Avatar Korra to help me herself by lending a hand with the task force, but of course her training comes first."

"Of course."

She was _definitely _not imagining the coldness.

"Would it be all right if I borrowed the Avatar for a few minutes?" he asked, giving Korra a smile that sent an unpleasant chill down her spine.

Asami glanced down at Korra, a silent question in her eyes. Korra sighed and gave her a tired grin. "It's fine. Go find Mako and Bolin, I'm sure they would love to talk to you."

She hesitated for a moment before nodding reluctantly. "All right..." she slid her arm out from Korra's, giving her a look full of sympathy and concern. "I'll find you in a bit."

"Come with me, Avatar Korra," he said, guiding her to the center of the floor with his hand rested on her back. "The city awaits its hero."

* * *

Tarrlok spent what felt like nothing short of an eternity dragging her around to introduce her to a dizzying number of high-ranking citizens of the city. She saw Mr. Sato again and had what was arguably the most pleasant conversation of the evening with him, telling him a bit more about her pro-bending team and her teammates before Tarrlok ushered her off again. She also ran into Chief Bei Fong, who wasted literally no time in berating her for not deserving the gala, and was introduced to the other three council members, a few other industrialists, famous singers, professors who taught at the university, high-born aristocrats, and even a couple of bending masters who had elite schools in the city.

The evening wound down, and Korra fooled herself into thinking she was almost free and that she had managed to escape another attempt to get her on the task force. It was practically at the last minute when Tarrlok was leading her back down the steps into the main hall that several of the reporters gathered there noticed her and swarmed the base of the steps, shouting out questions, their disorienting camera flashes momentarily blinding her.

"If you'll be so kind," Tarrlok said with an oily smirk, "they just have a couple questions."

"But-"

He pushed her forward, and she was left to stand alone on the steps, single-handedly facing down the sea of reporters. _I'd rather take on a small army of chi-blockers,_ she thought dourly.

"Avatar Korra," said a stern-looking reporter who was standing front-and-center, "you witnessed Amon take away people's bending firsthand. How serious a threat does he pose to the innocent citizens of Republic City?"

She cleared her throat, nerves skyrocketing again.

"I think...he presents a real problem," she said, trying and failing to sound more confident than she felt.

A man wearing spectacles near the back lifted his hand for her attention. "Then why have you refused to join Tarrlok's task force? As the Avatar, shouldn't you be going after Amon?"

Her face crumpled slightly. "...Well..." - a camera flash dazed her - "...I-"

"Why are you backing away from this fight?" the same man pressed, frowning at her.

She scowled, insulted. "What? No, I've never backed away from anything in my life!"

A man from the other side of the crowd jumped in, saying, "You promised to serve this city. Are you going back on that promise now?"

Her anger spiked, eyes narrowed, but before she could respond-

"Do you think pro-bending is more important than fighting the revolution?"

Fists clenched in tight knots, body tense-

"How do you think Avatar Aang would have handled this?"

Overwhelmed and furious, she was ready to snap -

"Are you _afraid_ of Amon?"

"I'm not _AFRAID_ of anybody!"

She swallowed hard, scowling out at the reporters. "If the city needs me, then...I'll join Tarrlok's task force and help fight Amon."

Tarrlok threw his arm around her shoulders. "There's your headline, folks!"

A new flurry of camera flashes lit her up, the reporters hurling a fresh volley of questions at her, and Korra stared pointedly into the sea of reporters, not able to bring herself to look for Asami or Tenzin or Mako or Bolin in the crowd. She was in the middle of a party being thrown in her honor, but Avatar Korra was having trouble remembering the last time she felt so alone.


	6. Who's Scared Now?

Korra's first raid took place without serious incident. She had found herself cornered by a chi-blocker at one point, but thankfully, Tarrlok incapacitated him, and Korra walked out of the training center without a scratch. Her stern face was plastered on the cover of every newspaper in the city the next morning, standing by a line of apprehended Equalists and pushing her way through the thick crowd outside. It was a great success, and the newspapers spoke highly of their brave and capable Avatar, joining forces with the police to take out the people that had so much of the city locked up in fear.

The task force wound up eating up even more of Korra's time than she expected. Between chasing down chi-blockers and keeping up with her Airbending, she had time for nothing else. She hadn't been to the gym in ages, and she had the feeling that the brothers were annoyed with her. Her relationship with Asami had taken a backseat as well, the two not seeing or speaking to each other since the gala. Asami had called on the telephone a few times, but Korra avoided answering each time, twice having the legitimate excuse of being in the middle of training and once with a lie that she wasn't feeling well enough to get up and answer. According to Tenzin, Asami had also come to the island once to see her personally, although as luck would have it, Korra had been performing a raid at the time.

They were all three probably really irritated with her, she realized. She was falling further and further behind in her pro-bending, the tournament looming menacingly over her team, and she hadn't spoken a single word to Asami. But she was the _Avatar_, and her Avatar duties did come first, after all. They would just have to deal with it.

It was days before Asami finally caught up with her. She came to the island at dusk just when Korra was wrapping up training for the day, finding her and Tenzin with ease.

"Asami, good evening," Tenzin said as she slipped out of the encroaching darkness to greet them.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," she said, very pointedly avoiding meeting Korra's eyes.

"We were just finishing up."

"Good." She hesitated for a split second. "Is it okay if Korra stays out here with me for a few minutes?"

"We're about to have dinner," he said slowly. "You're more than welcome to join us."

"Oh, no, that's okay," she said. "I'm sorry, this was a bad time."

"I don't need to eat right now, Tenzin," Korra cut in, rolling her sleeves back up to her shoulders. "I won't be long."

"...Very well," he agreed. "We'll save a dinner plate for you."

"Thank you."

He took his leave, long robes billowing around him. Asami cleared her throat, finally fixing her green eyes on Korra. A small, tired smile tugged at her lips as she took in Korra's Airbending attire.

"Nice uniform."

Korra blinked and scowled lightly, tugging at the excessive fabric that hung in drapes around her limbs. "Island policy for Airbending training, unfortunately."

"It's cute," Asami assured her.

Korra shrugged, crossing her arms and kicking a loose stone. It skipped halfway across the training field. "Did you need anything?"

"I wanted to talk."

"We're talking."

Asami sighed. "Walk with me, then?"

Her mouth felt dry. "Sure."

They left the training area and made their way down the path that led to the pier. Asami didn't say a word the entire time, and Korra wondered what she wanted, although she was sure she could guess. Asami hadn't known her long, and a girl like her probably had people all but lining up for the opportunity to date her. Why would she stay with someone who didn't even have time for her?

They walked along the beach for a few minutes, sand shifting treacherously under their feet. The bay stretched out beyond them, the first city lights of the evening glittering on its surface. The evening was peaceful and quiet, the sky cloudless and dyed muted shades of orange and yellow and purple. The perfect end to a crisp fall day.

Asami stopped abruptly and folded herself down on the sand, gesturing for Korra to follow suit. When they were situated, they both stared silently out at the water, watching a boat chug along across the bay.

"How is the task force going?"

The question surprised Korra. It was literally the last thing she expected Asami to talk about.

"It's going great," she said without any real enthusiasm. "We took out two training centers this week."

"Yeah, I read about that in the papers," Asami said slowly, "but that isn't what I meant."

Korra blinked at her, puzzled. "What?"

"Korra, are...are you okay?"

She snorted out a burst of laughter she didn't really feel. "Me? Okay? Of course I'm okay, why wouldn't I be okay?"

"I feel like you're avoiding me," Asami said candidly. "I know you're really busy, but we still haven't seen each other at all since Tarrlok's gala." She slowly trailed her fingers through the sand between them. "You seemed really upset when it was over, but you barely said a word to anyone about it. And Bolin says you haven't been showing up to practice, so I know it's not just me."

Korra snorted lightly before she could stop herself. "Wow, you're keeping tabs on me," she said flatly, fixing her stare on the city across the water. "Have you thought about checking in with Tarrlok, too?"

"Korra, I'm _worried," _Asami said, voice pained. "I _know _that you're busy, but you're not leaving time for yourself. It isn't healthy."

"I can't help that. I'm the Avatar and I'm fulfilling my duties to learn the four elements and protect people." She crossed her arms protectively over her stomach. "That's just how it is, Asami."

Fingertips against her jaw, cool and light, gently turning her head to face Asami.

"Please don't shut your friends out," she said softly. "We want to help you."

Her hard resolve faltered, and she glanced down before it could crumble further.

"I do miss you," Korra admitted, voice hushed. "It's just..."

"Just what?"

The truth was lodged somewhere in her throat, but she couldn't get it out.

"It's just...hard...getting away from my duties right now," she said without conviction. It wasn't a lie, she told herself, but that didn't make it the truth.

Asami draped her arm around Korra's shoulders and pulled her into an embrace that Korra was helpless to rebuff. She wrapped her arms around Asami's middle and buried her face in her loose, dark, sweet-smelling hair. She could stay like that forever and not regret it.

"I...should probably go back," Asami said with a note of sadness. "I told Dad I would only be an hour."

"Of course," Korra said, pulling back and trying to keep the disappointment from her face.

"But..." Asami cupped her face and gave her a quick kiss. "Can we go out sometime soon? Together? Please?"

She wanted to say no. She wanted to ask Asami to just come to the island and stay there instead, sit with Korra and hold her and talk nonsense to distract her. But in the dim twilight, Asami's plaintive expression was almost impossible to turn down.

"I have a press conference tomorrow evening," she said, glancing down. "If you meet me at city hall when it's done, we can go do something for a little while as long as I don't stay out too late."

Asami stood, pulling Korra to her feet along with her, and kissed her again. "Thank you."

Korra walked her back to the pier, and they both stopped for one last long embrace.

"I want you to talk to me if something is bothering you," Asami said softly. She gave Korra a hard squeeze. "It's okay to be scared, you know."

Korra tensed, pulling back and staring at Asami with wide eyes. "I'm not scared."

Asami gave her a sad smile, tracing the loose edge of Korra's tied-back bangs and stroking her cheek quickly.

"I'll see you tomorrow evening," she said, turning towards the ferry with one last wave.

"Asami-"

She paused, looking at Korra over her shoulder.

Korra wanted to pull loose the plug in her chest and let everything she was feeling spill out, the swirling quagmire of unsifted feelings throbbing in her veins like poison, but she swallowed the urge and gave Asami a shaky smile.

"Be safe getting home."

"...I will."

She boarded the ferry with a final smile at Korra and vanished to the bow. It took off moments later, and Korra slowly made her way from the sandy beach to the pier, her footsteps heavy on the hard wood. She walked down to the pier's end, sitting on the ledge and watching the ferry draw further and further away until it was an indistinct blur against the water, until the city lights had overwhelmed it and swallowed it whole.

* * *

The press conference was less of a nightmare than it could have been, but that wasn't saying much. The only blessing so far was that Tarrlok was doing most of the talking. He praised Korra as a fearless spearhead of the task force, leading the charge against Amon bravely. She stood behind him all the while, scowling lightly and wondering how long it would be until she could go. Ever since the fiasco at the gala, reporters have inspired nothing in her but suspicion and irritation. She felt trapped under their piercing gazes.

"Question for the Avatar!" said one woman once Tarrlok had finished talking. "Amon remains at large. Why have you failed to locate him?"

Something that had been drawn tight inside of Korra's gut splintered and broke with a sharp crack.

"You want to know why?" she snapped, pushing Tarrlok aside and taking his place at the podium. "Because Amon is hiding in the shadows like a _coward!" _She snatched up the microphone, feedback whining, her voice bringing dead silence to the room. "Amon, I challenge you to a duel!" she said, roving her eyes across the sea of shocked reporters. "No task force, no chi-blockers, just the two of us tonight at midnight on Avatar Aang Memorial Island. Let's cut to the chase and settle this thing..._if_ you're man enough to face me."

With a defiant glare fixed in place, she threw the microphone back down and stormed off the podium, the sharp whine of feedback punctuating the gesture. She heard the clamor of the reporters behind her, asking for specifics and details, but she ignored them all.

She found Asami waiting outside of the door. Korra only had to wonder for a split second whether she had heard before registering the shocked look on her face. She swallowed hard, praying that Asami wouldn't pry.

"Come on," she said gruffly. "I kind of have an appointment at midnight."

"Korra-"

"Avatar Korra, wait just a minute!"

She wanted to scream. She turned around to scowl up at Tarrlok, arms crossed. "I'm busy," she said curtly. "If you're here to try to talk me out of it, you're wasting your time and mine."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked, one eyebrow arched. "You know firsthand how dangerous Amon is."

"That's why I'm doing this," she snapped. "I need to stop him, Tarrlok. I thought you would understand that."

"I do understand, but I must implore you not to go through with this. Facing Amon is far too dangerous. With his skills-"

"I'm not afraid to face him!"

"Which is admirable," he said, inclining his head briefly, "but the risk that he will defeat you and take your bending is too great. You can't handle facing him alone. I must insist that you call this off."

A visible tremor of rage ran through her. "I'm going to face Amon tonight and I'm going to stop him. I can handle this, Tarrlok."

He sighed. "Well, far be it from me to argue with the Avatar when she's made up her mind."

"Are you serious?!" Asami balked. "Korra, no, this is ridiculous, you can't go through with this!"

"This isn't any of your business, Asami," Korra said, anger spiking.

"I will arrange for the police force to stand by in case something goes wrong," Tarrlok said, cutting Asami off from making a furious rebuttal. "I assure you, Miss Sato, at no point will the Avatar be in any danger."

Asami's entire body went absolutely rigid with barely-controlled rage, and for a split second, Korra thought she was going to go off on Tarrlok. Instead, she took a deep breath and let it back out in a slow sigh.

"Let's just go," she said to Korra. "We can't stay out all night."

"Be at the docks by 11:30," Tarrlok said. "We will have a boat ready for you to take across."

"Let's _go," _Asami snapped again, taking Korra by the arm and dragging her out of the hall.

* * *

They took Naga to the park in absolute silence. Asami's refusal to speak was starting to wear on Korra's nerves, but she didn't want to say anything either in case it set off some sort of lecture about how terrible an idea it was for Korra to confront Amon. Whatever Asami had to say about the matter, Korra didn't want to hear it.

At night, the park was peaceful and quiet, the dimly lit paths occupied only by other couples. She felt Asami relax slightly against her back, arms that were locked around her waist slacking.

"Let's take a taxi ride through the park," Asami suggested softly.

Korra started at both her voice and the suggestion. "What? Why would we do that? We have Naga."

"You wouldn't have to worry about steering if we took a taxi."

"And we wouldn't have to needlessly spend money on something stupid if we took Naga."

Asami froze for a split second before detangling her arms from around Korra. She pushed herself away and slid down from her perch on Naga's back, landing far too gracefully than she had any right to.

"Wait," Korra said, dumbfounded, "where are you going?"

"Home," Asami snapped, glaring up at her. "If you didn't want to go out you should have just said so."

Korra sputtered furiously, dismounting. "What?! I don't know if you noticed, Asami, but we _are _out!"

"But you don't want to be here, do you?" she challenged, crossing her arms and glaring down at Korra.

"Of course I do," she said with a petulant scowl.

"Do you really? Or did you just agree to come out so I got off your back?"

Korra let out a frustrated growl, tugging painfully at her own hair. "Asami, stop this, I _want_ to spend time with you! I just don't see the point in paying for a damn taxi when we can take Naga for free!"

"If I'm paying, then what does it matter?"

"...Fine. Fine!" She grabbed Naga's halter and dragged her along. "Find a taxi so we can get this over with."

Asami stared at her hard for a tense moment. With a shake of her head, she gestured for Korra to follow her. They found the line of small taxis for hire on the edge of the park. Naga sniffed the poor driver curiously, the expression on his face comically terrified.

"Uh...is this...your polar bear dog?"

"Yeah, don't worry," Korra muttered, running her fingers through the fur on Naga's neck, "she's harmless."

They climbed up into the taxi and the tiny vehicle started with a lurch, Naga trailing behind them to the dismay of the driver. Korra reflected in amusement that this would probably be the last time they did this while Naga was along.

The taxi was small without being cramped. If Korra was in a better mood, she might even think of it as cozy. It was easy to see why this was a popular activity for couples.

She felt Asami's hand on her knee, startling her into glancing away from the window.

"I'm sorry I snapped," Asami said, looking genuinely contrite. "I didn't mean to."

Korra's agitation leaked out of her in a useless hiss, her body slumping slightly. She wrapped a tentative arm around Asami's shoulders, and she fell against Korra, pressing her forehead to Korra's neck and holding her tight.

"It's okay," Korra murmured against the top of Asami's head. She trailed her fingers through her hair and traced patterns against her jacket. "I haven't exactly made things easy for you."

Asami nuzzled closer, warm against Korra's body.

"I know it sounds weird to say this," she said softly, "but I'm _really_ glad I hit you with my moped."

Korra laughed out loud, squeezing her. "I am, too. Honest."

Asami reached up and found her hand, lacing their fingers together.

"Are you sure about facing Amon tonight?" she asked, voice hushed.

Korra sighed. "I'm sure," she said. "If I end it now it will be better for everyone."

"But it's dangerous," Asami said, pushing herself upright to look at Korra anxiously.

"Doing nothing is dangerous," Korra said. "I can't just stand by and let him keep hurting people. Why don't you get that?"

"I'm not saying you should do nothing," Asami clarified patiently, "but facing him alone, no backup...Korra, that's-"

"He won't have any backup, either," she argued, crossing her arms.

"You don't know that he'll stick to that," Asami said, exasperated. "He never formally accepted your challenge. He might not even show up."

"So what's the problem, then?" Korra said, throwing her hands up. "If he's not even gonna be there, I have nothing to worry about!"

"Because he _might _show up and he _might _bring his chiblockers, and if that happens you would be walking into an ambush _alone._" She settled a hand on Korra's shoulder only for Korra to turn away. "Listen, I know you're an amazing bender, and I think if it was just you and Amon, you could beat him. But I really don't think he would show up to this confrontation alone. Do you realize what could happen if he and his chiblockers ambush you? They-"

"I _know _what they could do, Asami!" Korra snapped, knocking her hand away furiously. "I was at the rally, in case you forgot! I _personally_ saw Amon take away people's bending, remember?"

"Then you should know better than anyone else why you shouldn't do this!" she said. There was a pleading note to her voice that just angered Korra worse. "If you just waited until the right time-"

"Asami, you don't _get it,_" Korra snarled, turning to glare at her. "Amon being as dangerous as he is, the fact that he can take away people's bending - that's _exactly _why I have to face him! Now, before he does more damage!"

"I _do_ understand, and if there was a safe way for you to face him and stop him, I would tell you to go for it." She paused. "Why can't you bring police officers with you to the island? If you just had some kind of backup–"

"He won't show up if I have backup."

"If he wouldn't show up if there's a chance you have backup that could stop him, why would you go if there's a chance he would bring his chiblockers?" She reached out for Korra's face only to have her hand knocked away again. "Korra, please don't do this. It's not worth it. He could seriously hurt you. He could take away–"

"You think I don't know that?!" she burst furiously. "Do you think I haven't been remembering that rally constantly, thinking about what would happen if he caught me?! I can't _stop _thinking about it, Asami!" She rested her face in her hands for a moment before clenching them into fists and resting them both in her lap. "I almost saw a friend lose his bending – _permanently. _Amon would have done that to Bolin if we hadn't stopped him, and Bolin was completely innocent. I can't go through that again. I can't sit here waiting for him to do that to my friends – to _me_."

"I'm not saying he doesn't need to be stopped, Korra," Asami said firmly. "I want him stopped, too, believe me. What he's doing is terrible and wrong. But I don't think you charging into a dangerous situation head-first is going to solve anything."

"You just don't get it," Korra snapped, turning to glare out the window. "It doesn't matter how dangerous this is, I _have _to face him, and I have to do it alone."

"Korra..."

"What do you know, anyway?" Korra continued in a low, bitter voice. "You're not a bender. You don't know what it's like to see other benders have their bending taken away against their will, what it's like to wonder when it will happen to you. You'll _never_ know that fear."

There was a long, pregnant pause.

"Do what you want," Asami said finally. Her voice was heavy with the slightest undercurrent of anger. "I can tell trying to talk you out of it was a mistake."

Korra clenched her fists so hard she thought her nails would break the skin of her palms. Not even bothering to ask the cab driver to stop, she pulled herself upright and jumped out of the still-moving vehicle, ignoring the perplexed driver as she circled around back to grab Naga by the harness.

She hoisted herself up on the saddle and shot one last look at the taxi, half-expecting it to have stopped, to see Asami climbing out to try to stop her again, but it just kept driving down the path.

"Let's go, girl," she said miserably, steering Naga towards the park exist closest to the harbor.

* * *

It happened in a terrifying blur of glowing red goggles and fire blasts. Deep down, she wasn't entirely surprised to find herself dragged into the temple below the statue and surrounded by Equalists, and Asami's concern echoed briefly in her mind before she fought – a deluge fire washing over the indistinct figures and jagged teeth of stone wrenched from the earth in a desperate kick sending them flying before a series of blows to her back made her fall numb and still and silent.

Hands on her arms, probably harsh enough to leave bruises; for the first and probably the last time in her life, she was thankful to have her chi blocked. She had no time to reorient herself before she was pulled upright and forced to face off with a menacing mask looming from the shadows.

It was literally a scene from her nightmares, only this time, it was real.

And he spoke, voice low: "I received your invitation, young Avatar."

She turned her face away, awash in horror, the image of Lightning Bolt Zolt burned suddenly into her vision – his lightning fading to flame and then to nothing, like someone turning off a faucet. That was going to be her.

He gripped her chin and forced her to face him while he gloated –

"Our showdown, while inevitable, is premature. Although it would be the simplest thing for me to take away your bending right now..."

...and her terror was her entire world for one white-hot moment. She was sitting in the middle of a group of Equalists, arms restrained, limbs useless, at the mercy of a man who could take away her bending, who could just reach inside her and strangle the life out of that part of her –

"...I won't." She was close enough to see his eyes through the holes in his mask, pale and yellowed in the flickering light. "You'd only become a martyr. Benders of every nation would rally behind your untimely demise."

And despite her fear, when he dropped her face, Korra also knew real, pure, untempered fury for the first time in her life. This was the man who tried to hurt Bolin, who took bending from people against their will right in front of her, and now he was here telling her about how he was _sparing _her–

"But I assure you, I have a plan – and I'm saving you for last."

_What?_

"Then, you'll get your duel. And I _will_ destroy you."

She had no time to process the threat before he stood and struck her near the end, and then there was nothing.

Flashes in her mind. She felt like she was meeting people she had dreamed about, like she was sitting at the side of a rushing creek and looking at pictures on the bottom. Distinct but distant; new but familiar. It was the last image that struck a chord of recognition, a tall Airbender with a furious expression on his face. She had heard tales of him from her oldest bending master since she was a child, spent years wishing like nothing else that she could meet him, that she would have a breakthrough and see him and speak to him.

She slowly opened her eyes, hoping that he would be there, that it wasn't just her imagination. She was delirious with pain and fear, the temple dim and out of focus, but she could see someone running towards her, saffron robes billowing.

"Aang...?"

"Korra!"

It was Tenzin. He knelt next to her, frantically pulling her upright. "Korra, are you all right? What happened? Was Amon here?"

"...Y-yeah..." she glanced away, trying to get her bearings straight. She could feel a few tendrils of shame curling around her heart. Asami had been right, after all. "He...ambushed me."

"Did he–" Tenzin drew closer, concern clear. "Did he take your bending away?"

She opened her hand, a warm, red flower of fire blooming in her palm, petals licking her fingers. She shut her fist, crushing it.

"No," she said without any real conviction. "I'm okay."

"Oh, thank goodness."

And that was when she broke.

* * *

Tenzin let her cry herself out there in his arms sitting in the damaged temple below the looming statue of her predecessor. She lost track of time, unsure of how long she sat there and sobbed before her shoulders stopped shaking and her eyes ran dry. When she was done, he helped her to her feet and led her outside, arm still around her shoulders. It was impossibly late. In a few hours, the sun would rise. Korra's exhaustion sank into every inch of her body, dragging her down.

As they made their way to the boat docked at the island, Korra looked over her shoulder at Aang's statue. Aang. Her prior incarnation. The one person who could understand what she was dealing with, the one person she wanted to speak to the most, the one person she couldn't reach.

She remembered the reporter's question – "How do you think Avatar Aang would have handled this?" She thought that the confrontation she set up had been the answer. Aang went off to face Ozai alone, despite the reservations of his allies, and he defeated Ozai. She thought that by singling out Amon and demanding that he face her alone, she was doing what Aang would have done. She thought that by defeating Amon alone in direct combat, she would be living up to Aang's legacy. She did what he would have done to protect his city.

Somehow, she didn't think Aang would be letting Amon run around taking away people's bending. She also didn't think he would have walked into an ambush like that.

She felt like such a fool.

She turned her face away from the statue, but she was still aware of its shadow against her back, swallowing her whole. Aang had defeated a tyrant and stopped a century-long war at twelve, and she at seventeen couldn't stop a jerk in a mask from terrorizing a city. Pathetic. Maybe it was a good thing Aang couldn't talk to her; she didn't know if she wanted to hear how disappointed he was.

_Were you afraid of Ozai, Aang? _she wondered miserably as Tenzin guided her down the pier to the boat. _Did you have nightmares, too? _

Maybe it didn't matter. Maybe Aang was afraid and maybe he wasn't. He still stopped Ozai at the height of his power and brought peace to the world. He was a powerful Avatar, noble and fair and, if the stories were any indication, amazing. Korra was expected to follow in his footsteps, stopping people who threatened the balance at all costs, but she was failing. She was failing and it was the people who needed her protecting them that would pay for it.

Such, _such _a fool to think she could live up to Aang.

The ride back to Air Temple Island was quiet. She focused on the sound of the waves against the hull instead of the memory of her failure and wondered if Tenzin would let her skip Airbending the next day so she could sleep.

They got back to the island and made their way up the twisting path to the living quarters. As they entered the courtyard, Tenzin placed his hand on her shoulder again.

"There's no reason to be ashamed of what happened," he said softly. "You did what you could."

She lowered her eyes. "Somehow I don't think Aang would have let them knock him out."

Tenzin paused. "Aang was an incredible Avatar," he said slowly, "but he had his rough patches, too. That's all part of the learning process. Some methods work, some don't. You'll figure these things out in time."

When she didn't answer, he continued, leading them both towards the kitchen.

"Pema said she would wait up to make sure we got in safely," he said tiredly. "I don't think either of us anticipated it would take this long."

Korra winced guiltily as he opened the door. "I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to apologize for, Korra."

The kitchen was dark, oddly enough, but Korra could still make out a dim figure sitting at the table, staring out the window. When Tenzin turned on the light, however, they found that it wasn't Pema.

"Asami?" Korra asked, stunned. "What on earth are you doing here?"

Asami started, putting down the teacup she had been holding and pushing herself to her feet.

"I'm sorry," she said with a quick bow directed at Tenzin. "I came by to see if Korra had made it back safely, and Pema was still up so she invited me in."

"Where is Pema?" he asked.

"She went to bed a little while ago," Asami said. "She wanted to stay up, but she was really tired. I told her I wait up for you two."

Her green eyes flicked over to Korra, and the concern in them was plain as day.

"Thank you, Asami," Tenzin said. "If you'd like, you can stay here for the rest of the evening so you don't have to travel so late."

"I appreciate it." She pushed her hair behind her ear, visibly nervous and worried. "Do either of you need anything?"

"Sleep, I think," Tenzin said candidly. He rested his hand on Korra's shoulder, drawing her attention away from Asami. "I'll let Pema know you're all right."

"Thank you."

"Don't stay up too late."

"We won't."

He left Korra alone in the kitchen with Asami. For a few minutes, Korra didn't look at her.

"Are you here to gloat?" she asked Asami flatly, her voice full of resentment that she didn't completely feel.

"No," Asami said softly, drawing a few steps closer but stopping slightly more than an arm's length away. "I was worried. I came to make sure you were safe."

Korra glanced up. Asami did look worried, and Korra believed her when she said that was her reason for being here. She sighed.

"You were right after all," Korra said miserably, crossing her arms hard and staring down at the toes of her boots. "Amon showed up with his chiblockers and they ambushed me."

"...Did he...?"

"No." She swallowed hard. "I thought he would, but he didn't." She snorted softly at the memory, smiling bitterly. "He said he would, though. Later. Told me he's saving me for last." She laughed softly, kneading her forehead with one fist. "I'm such an idiot. I walked right into a trap. If he had taken my bending away I'd have no one to blame but myself."

Asami closed the distance and wrapped Korra up in a strong hug, one that Korra returned immediately. She thought she was done crying, but at that moment she wanted nothing more than to bury her face in Asami's shoulder and weep all over again.

"This wasn't your fault," Asami said against her hair, rubbing her back soothingly. "Amon doesn't stand a chance against you in a fair fight. He had to ambush you to have any shot of beating you. He's a coward who can't match you."

When Korra didn't answer, Asami pulled back far enough to take her face in her hands and kiss her softly. "You're amazing," she said softly, nuzzling their foreheads together. "You're absolutely amazing, Korra. And you're going to beat him. I know you will."

Overwhelmed, Korra wrapped her arms around Asami's neck and pulled her in for a searing kiss, one that Asami returned with a welcome ferocity. It was with no small amount of reluctance that they separated to go to sleep. Korra gave thought to asking Asami to stay in Korra's room, but just the thought made her flush all the way down to her neck, so she thought better of it. She showed Asami to a spare bedroom on the girl's side and gave her one last kiss goodnight, standing on her toes with her fingers threaded through Asami's hair, before retreating to her own bedroom.

She saw Naga curled up the floor. She thought for a split second that she was asleep, but she lifted her head the second the door opened, tail thumping out a steady rhythm against the floorboards.

"Hey, girl," Korra said softly, settling down on the floor next to her and wrapping her arms around her massive neck. Naga nuzzled her lightly, licking her cheek in concern, and Korra laughed. "I'm all right. Everything's fine now."

She stayed on the floor that night, curled up against Naga's warm fur, arms still draped around her oldest friend, and her sleep was blessedly dreamless for the first time in days.


End file.
